Big Softee and his beloved Donkey Friends in Buttercup Meadow

The horses and ponies have enjoyed a mild winter and delightful spring again with surprisingly little rain. It has been very good weather for all of them. The large herd of ponies have lived happily in and around the lower wood able to find shelter from any direction of wind because of the triangular shape of the ancient wood. When the wicked sleet gales arrived we opened the gate to let them shelter in the middle of the wood. They were not allowed to stay more than a day or two because their nibbling at the bark would kill off these very ancient trees where some date back 700 years.

The amazing bluebells and wild garlic announced spring and have not been lessened by the pot belly pigs who went to live there in 1991 to avoid being slaughtered under the ludicrous Foot and Mouth carnage. Everything in nature wakes upon spring, even the lice who embed their eggs on the winter coats of Ponies. The ponies rely on us to rub them all over with delousing powder to bring them under control and give the ponies the comfort of no flesh eaters.

Often feel terribly for the poor ponies who do not have close care to eliminate the parasites which invade their bodies and bring premature death. We therefore continue to campaign for better understanding everywhere of the natural rights for Horse (the forgotten, worst abused animal in the country). Our herd of larger horses and donkeys needing special Tender Loving Care have enjoyed the luxury of barn accommodation at night with sweet meadow hay in abundance made from our own fields last June.

They have canvas coats put on for the really bad wet cold driving rain days which thankfully were very few. Most of the time with the attraction of the sweet wrapped hay and buckets of grass nuts with molasses, cider apple vinegar and cod liver oil for their arthritic joints, they meander in and out of the big barn every day. The greatest thing which they have is companionship. They live in a large herd but they all have small family style friendly groups where eating and grazing together nose to nose is their greatest pleasure. Like Big Softee, a huge horse who is only happy when he is surrounded by lots of donkeys.

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